How to Propagate Conocarpus

Commonly called buttonwood, Conocarpus erectus is an evergreen species of tree grown for its silvery foliage and attractive purple berries. It grows best within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, where it is widely used as a landscape ornamental or hedging plant. Buttonwood trees propagate best from cuttings, which will root effortlessly if gathered during the active growing season. Although rooting hormone is not required, buttonwood cuttings will root faster and perform better overall if treated with mild hormone prior to planting.

1

Propagate buttonwood trees when they are actively growing, from late spring until late summer. Avoid propagating when the tree is in full bloom, since it will put its energy toward flowering instead of root production.

2

Prepare a rooting container. Fill a 6-inch plastic pot with a moistened mix of equal parts perlite, milled peat and coarse sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pot to eliminate any air pockets.

3

Gather a 6-inch-long softwood cutting from the tip of a healthy buttonwood branch. Choose one with a pliant, 1/4-inch-thick stem and no flowers or buds. Avoid stems with obvious signs of stress or damage such as yellow or stunted foliage.

4

Snip the stem 1/4-inch below a pair of leaves using sharp, sanitized pruning shears. Remove all of the leaves along the lower half of the stem to reveal the growth nodes, where the roots will form.

5

Coat the severed end and exposed growth nodes with 0.1-percent IBA rooting hormone talc to hasten rooting, if desired. Gently tap or blow on the cutting to knock loose the excess powder.

6

Make a 3-inch-deep planting hole in the moistened perlite and peat mixture. Stick the talc-coated end of the buttonwood cutting into the hole and press the perlite mixture firmly against the stem.

7

Place the potted buttonwood cutting outdoors under very light shade. Place a 2-gallon clear plastic bag over the pot to hold warm air and humidity around the cutting. Snip off one corner of the bag to increase air circulation around the cutting, which will prevent it from rotting.

8

Check the buttonwood cutting every day to ensure the rooting medium is moist and the leaves are hydrated. Mist the leaves every day. Add water to the rooting medium whenever it feels mostly dry in the top 2 inches. Do not let it dry out, but do not make it soggy.

9

Check for roots four to six weeks after striking buttonwood cuttings, but don't be discouraged if it takes up to eight weeks for roots to form. Lightly tug on the base of the stem to feel if it has anchored to the perlite mixture with roots.

10

Transplant the rooted buttonwood cutting into a 1-gallon container filled with garden soil. Grow it under light shade with 2 inches of water weekly until mid-autumn. Transplant it into a permanent bed with full sun exposure and fast-draining soil.